Thursday, January 25, 2007 Editorials: Election gun ban
EVEN as President Arroyo ordered the Philippine National Police to map out a plan to dismantle private armies and ensure peaceful elections in May, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) approved 20 applications for exemption from the gun ban.
Comelec may have been correct in approving the applications: Pacquiao is indeed a “high-profile personality,” is “living in a troubled land” (General Santos City where a bomb exploded recently) and is rich (he earned millions of dollars from his fights).
Even the number may add up---although 20 gun holders is already an army--- because Pacquiao has a family and properties, including a celebrated mansion, that must be shielded from harm round the clock.
What is worrisome, however, is that if Comelec can approve 20 applications for exemption of the gun ban for just one “high-profile personality,” how many will it eventually allow to carry firearms for the duration of the election season nationwide?
Of course, legal firearm holders could be a lesser worry in a country where unlicensed guns proliferate and where elections have always been marred by the presence of armed groups in the service of some candidates.
That is why while President Arroyo’s order to dismantle private armies is a good sound byte it can suffer in the implementation because of the magnitude of the problem and the attitude of some election officials and law enforcers.
Legislated wage hike
One easily observable point in Congress’ attempt to legislate a P125 across-the board wage increase is organized labor’s silence.
And yet they were the same groups that pushed for the wage hike months back.
A few reasons for the seeming lack of excitement:
0 The feeling that members of the House of Representatives, which started the ball rolling for the passage of the wage hike measures, and the Senate are merely politicking, considering that the election season is on.
0 The effect of the campaign of employers and even officials of the labor department to dismantle the arguments for the legislated wage hike.
Whatever the reason, the failure of organized labor, wracked with factional strife as of this moment, to make even a squeak speaks volumes of its competence, or lack of it, in advancing the interest of the sector.
